Fabric protecting shoe for steam irons



Jne 6, `1939. P. H. BRAVE FABRIC PROTECTING SHOE FOR STEAM IRONS Filed Jan. 50, 1937 Ig, 57E/m.

Fig. In ven on fefer H. Braye.

' Patented June 6, 1939 UNITED STATES FABRIC PROTECTING SHOE FOR STEAM IRONS Peter H. Brave, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application January 30, 1937, Serial No. 123,247

Claims.

This invention has to do in a general way with irons for pressing fabric materials, and is more particularly related to improved attachments which are especially adapted for use in conjunc- 5 tion with the so-called steam iron.

As is well known to those familiar with the art, a conventional steam iron of the modern electric type, for example, is similar in general nature toan ordinary electric iron, except that it is equipped with a steam coil adapted to be heated 'by the heating elementfof the iron, such coil including or communicating with a chamber located above the bottom plate of the iron, such chamber having steam discharge ports distributed over a predeterminedv area therein. The steam vis ordinarily generated in -a suitable boiler and is conducted to the iron through a flexible conduit communicating with a 4suitable connection on the iron. The steam ma'y be subjected to a super heating or a condensing action as it passes through the iron, depending upon the temperature of the heating elements therein.h It is important, however, in order to avoid the formation of water spots or streaks on the fabric, that the steam at the time it is discharged through the-ports at the bottom of the ironing surface, be dry. In other words, if water is discharged with the steam, such water tends to spot or streak the fabric.

In the ordinary electric steam iron with a rheostat control on the heating element, I have found that when the rheostat regulator is set for substantially 450, the steam is dry and no condensed water is expelled upon the fabric. In certain types of fabric however, such as Celanese and the like, I have found that a temperature high enough to insure the delivery of `a substantially dry steam is injurious to the fabric and tends to burn the same. Celanese, for example, in order to insure its not being injured, should be ironed with an iron having the rheostat regulator set not to exceed 325 and at this temperature, I find that there is a substantial tendency for condensed water vapor to be expelled with the steam which spots or streaks the fabric when it is ironed.

It therefore becomes a primary object of this invention to provide an attachment which may be releasably secured to the bottom of an ordinary steam iron, and which is formed so as to limit the amount of heat which is conducted from the iron to the ironing surface on the attachment, which I have termed a shoe plate, such attachment being equipped with means for conducting steam from the steam'iron through the ironing surface. In other words, my invent` tion contemplates an attachable shoe adapted for use in conjunctionv with the steam iron, which will permit the iron being heated to a temperay ture sufficient to insure the delivery of dry steam into the fabric, and which at the same time dissipates part of the heat from the iron so that the ironing surface does not obtain a temperature sufliciently high to injure the most delicate fabric.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an ironing shoe of the class described, with means whereby the temperatureof the ironing surface may be regulated within an appreciable range Without changing the rheostat setting on the iron. In this latter connection, my invention contemplates an ironing shoe which is provided with raised portions so as to form an air space between the bottom of the iron and the upper surface of the ironing shoe, and for the purpose of Varying the temperature, my invention contemplates the provision of means for adjustably varying vent openings which communicate with this space so that the temperature is controlled to a certain degree by thecirculation of air through the space between the bottom of the iron and the upper surface of the ironing shoe.

The details in the construction of certain preferred forms of my invention, together with other objects attending its production, will be best understood from the following description of the accompanying drawing, which were chosen for illustrative purposes only, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational View showing a steam iron equipped with a preferredembodiment of my invention, a portion of such view being broken away to illustrate the manner in which a steam chamber is formed between the perforated area in the ironing surface and the shoe plate;

Fig. 2 is a plan view illustrating further details in the construction of the shoe shown in Fig. 1, and also illustrating in dotted lines one manner inwhich the steam discharge perforations are arranged in the bottom surface of the iron;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an elevational View showing the rear portion of the ironing shoe shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and illustrating a preferred form of a gate member which maybe employed in locking the iron within the shoe;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken in a plane represented by the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of ironing shoe contemplated by this invention;v

and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 7 and illustrating another form of raised portions which may be used to form the space between the bottom surface of the iron and the top surface on the shoe plate.

Referring now to the drawing for a more detailed description of the invention, reference numeral II indicates an electric steam iron of any conventional type which includes a body I2 equipped with a handle I3, the body having a bottom plate which carries the usual ironing surface, such plate being shown in the broken-away portion of Fig. 1 where it is indicated by reference numeral III. The iron carries an electric heating element, not shown, which is energized from any suitable source of electricity conducted thereto, through a socket member indicated at I5, and the temperature is controlled byy a suitable rheostat not shown, which is regulated .by a rheostat control switch I6. The steam is delivered into the iron through a connection I'I which is attached to a flexible steam conduit Il-, such steam passing through the steam coil in the iron to a steam chamber shown at I8, which has steam discharge ports P extending through the bottom surface of the iron. These steam discharge ports may be arranged in any suitable mannen-and in the form shown are illustrated as being arranged as an angle having its apex near the point of the iron. The arrangement of these discharge ports P is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2.

Mounted on the bottom of the iron is what I may term an ironing shoe, which forms the essence of this invention, such shoe being generally indicated by reference numeral Eil. The shoe 2G is shown as comprising a bottom plate or shoe plate 2|, which is preferably shaped to conform with the shape of the iron, and which is equipped with suitable means for releasably locking the same on the bottom of an iron to which it is attached.

In the form shown. the attachment of the shoe to the iron is effected by providing the shoe with flanges 22 and 22, shaped so as to conform with the shape of the iron, and inclined inwardly so as to t over the iron and hold the iron and the shoe against vertical movement with respect to each other when the former is wedged up into the flanges of the latter.

For the purpose of inserting the iron within the shoe and then locking the same in the shoe, I prefer to leave the rear end portion of the shoe open and to provide this open end with what I may term a gate member, indicated by reference numeral 23, which is hinged as indicated at 24 and has a releasable locking or latching pin 25.

In order that the amount of heat conducted from the iron into the shoe may be limited to a minimum, I prefer to provide some means in the nature of insulation to separate the shoe from the iron. In this form of my invention, this is accomplished by providing the upper surface of the shoe plate with raised portions, illustrated in Figs, 1 to 6, inclusive, as being in the form of raised portions 26 and 21. These raised portions are cast or otherwise formed on the upper surface of the shoe plate, and the raised portion means 26 is preferably formed in the nature of a boundary Wall, which encompasses the area within which the steam discharge ports are located.

In this way, the member 26 cooperates with the bottom surface of the iron and the top surface of the shoe plate, enclosed by the raised portion, to form a steam chamber into which the steam from the iron discharges.

For the purpose of discharging the steam from this chamber into the fabric that is being ironed, I provide that region of the shoe plate, which is encompassed by the raised portion 26, with a plurality of steam discharge ports generally indicated by the reference letter P.

Each of the discharge ports P preferably is laterally offset from each adjacent port P so that as steam is discharged from a port P the portion of the plate around the adjacent port P' acts as a baffle.

In Order to further restrict the conductive relation between the iron and the shoe, I show the side flanges in this form of my invention as being formed so as to engage the iron at spaced points. In other words, these side flanges may be thought of as being cut away at points intermediate their ends, so as to leave region 28, 28 and 29, 29 at which the metal of the shoe engages the iron.

It was also pointed out as a feature of this invention that means are provided for controlling within certain limits, the temperature of the shoe without changing the rheostat adjustment on the iron. This is accomplished by providing the flanges of the shoe member with spaced ports or openings, indicated generally by reference numeral 3B, such openings communicating with the space between the bottom of the iron and the upper surface of the shoe. These openings afford means for the passage of circulating air in the space between the iron and the shoe which through connection assists in maintaining a substantial temperature differential between the iron and the shoe. In order that the temperature differential thus maintained may be regulated to suit the operator within an appreciable range, means are provided for controlling the size of these openings. In this form of my invention, such means are shown as comprising flexible metal plate members 32, which are secured on each side of the shoe through the medium of screws 33 and slots 34, such flexible plate members or shutters having openings 35 therein, which are in alinement with the openings through the side flanges of the shoe. By adjusting these plate members back and forth with respect to the openings in the side anges, it will be seen that the size of such openings can be controlled, and as a consequence, the amount of circulating air may be controlled to effect the desired control on the temperature of the ironing surface. In this form of my invention. the gate member 23 ls also provided with openings 36 which may, if desired, be associated with a shutter member.

In the form of my invention as shown in Figs. '7 and 8, in which the shoe is indicated generally by reference numeral 20a, I show a device which may be used in conjunction with an ordinary iron, that is, one which is not especially designed for use in conjunction with the steam iron. In

this form of my invention, the shoe is substantially the same as that shown above, in that it incorporates a bottom plate 2Ia, side flanges 22a and 22a and a retaining gate member 23a. The raised portions which hold the shoe plate and the ironing surface in spaced relation with each other, in this form of my invention, however, are shown as being in the nature of buttons which are cast or otherwise formed on the upper surface of the shoe plate, and are indicated by reference numeral 40. These buttons are arranged in spaced relation with each other .so as-to provide a uniform support for the iron, and the number and size of the buttons is such as to limit the conductive relation between the iron and the shoe plate so that the desided temperature differential will exist between the iron and plate itself.

The flanges in the form of my invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, are preferably equipped with adjustable plate or shutter means 32a of the type shown in Figs. l.to'6 inclusive, for the purpose of varying the size of the air circulating passages 30a, which communicate with the space between the iron and the shoe plate.

It will be seen from the foregoing description, that my invention contemplates a device whereby the operator may readily obtain a low temperature ironing surface as he is ironing different types of fabric without waiting for the iron to cool, ,also this low temperature surface is obtained without having to reduce the temperature of the iron to a point where condensation may occur in the steam. For example, with an ironing shoe of the type illustrated herein, which may be made of a suitable conductive metal such as an aluminum alloy, I have found that a constant temperature difference in the neighborhood of may be maintained between the iron itself and the ironing surface on the ironing shoe. With this arrangement, it is possible to adjust the heating element in the iron so as to insure perfectly dry steam being delivered through the steam discharge ports and at the same time to provide an ironing surface of a temperature which will not be injurious to the most delicate fabrics.

It will be understood that while I have herein described and illustrated certain preferred forms of the invention, that the invention is not limited to the precise details described above, .but includes within its scope whatever changes fairly come Within the spirit of the appended claims.

1. For use in combination with a steam iron having steam discharging perforations in its bottom, an ironing plate adapted to be' disposed 4 under and. parallel to the bottom of the iron, a restricted area. of said plate having perforations to permit the discharge of steam onto an article being ironed, means forl spacing the plate and iron apart to provide an air space therebetween and for confining the flow vof steam from perforations in the bottom of the iron to the .perforated area of thebplata said means comprising a raised portion of'the-plate-upon which the bottom oi' the iron rests end whi'ch surrounds the perforated area oi.' the plate, saidplate having a flanged portion which engages the sidesgoi' the iron to detachably secure the plate to the iron, and slots in the flanged portion for admitting air to the air space between the iron andplate.

2. For use in combination with a steam iron having steam discharging perforations in its bottom, an ironing plate adapted t'o be disposed under and parallel to the bottom of the iron, a restricted area of. said plate having perforations to permit the discharge of steam onto an article being ironed,` means forspacing the plate and iron apart to provide an air space therebetween and for conning the iiow of steam from perfora- V tions in the bottom of the iron to the perforated area of the plate, said means comprising a raised portion of the plate upon which the bottom of the iron rests and which surrounds the perforated area of the plate, said plate having a flanged portion which engages the sides of the iron to detachably secure the plate to the iron, slots in the flanged portion'for admitting air to said air -space land a plate movably mounted on the flanged portion for movement with respect to the slots to vary the amount of air passingv through the slots.

3. The device of claim 1 which includes a gate member at one end of the plate for locking the plate on the iron. Y

4. For use in combination with a steam iron having a restricted area of its bottom perforated to discharge steam therefrom, a plate having means for attaching same to the iron, said means comprising a flanged portion of the plate which engages the sides of the iron, a restricted area of the plate being perforated to allow the passage of steam to an object being ironed, a member spacing the plate and the bottom .of the iron apart and providing an air space therebetween around said perforated areas, said spacing member surrounding said perforated area of said plate and forming, when in use with the iron, a steam chamber between both the said perforated areas, and ventilation means for admitting air to said air space, said ventilation means comprising slots in said flanged portion of the plate.

5. For use in combination with a steam iron whose bottom has a restricted perforated area adjacent its front end for discharging steam from the iron, a shoe adapted to fit over the bottom of the iron, the bottom wall of said shoe providing an ironing surface, said bottom-shoe wall having, adjacent its front end, a restricted perforated area for passing steam onto an article being ironed, said last mentioned perforated area being adapted to be disposed opposite the perforated area of the iron, spacing members for spacing the iron and bottom shoe wall apart t'o provide an air space therebetween, one of said spacing members surrounding said perforated areas to direct the ow of steam from the perforati'ons in the iron to the perforations in the shoe bottom and the other of said spacing members being positioned adjacent the rear end of the shoe, slotsin the shoe-for admitting air to` the air space around said steam chamber, movable means for opening. and closing said slots, and a gat nember pivotally secured to the rear end of the shoe for locking the shoe in position on the iron.

PETER HI.- BRAVE. 

